Tag Archives: Britain

EU Tells May: No Renegotiating Brexit Divorce Treaty

Reuters reports: The European Union ruled out renegotiating the Brexit divorce treaty or its Irish border protocol on Tuesday as Prime Minister Theresa May sought last ditch assurances from the bloc to save her deal after pulling a vote she acknowledged she would lose. Less than four months until the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on …

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Theresa May Calls Off Key Brexit Vote By Parliament

The New York Times reports: Facing the prospect of a humiliating defeat, Prime Minister Theresa May was expected to announce on Monday plans to postpone a parliamentary vote on her proposal for Britain’s departure from the European Union, throwing the process into disarray and highlighting her tenuous hold on power. Mrs. May planned to make an unscheduled address to Parliament …

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BRITAIN: MP Discloses HIV+ Status To Fight Stigma

The Guardian reports: The Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has used a debate in the Commons to announce he is HIV positive, making a personal speech he said was intended to tackle the stigma still associated with the condition. The first parliamentarian to make such an announcement in the Commons, and the second MP to announce they are HIV positive, Russell-Moyle …

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BRITAIN: Parliament Seizes Internal Facebook Docs

The BBC reports: Parliament has used its legal powers to seize internal Facebook documents in an extraordinary attempt to hold the US social media giant to account after chief executive Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly refused to answer MPs’ questions. The cache of documents is alleged to contain significant revelations about Facebook decisions on data and privacy controls that led to the …

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Ecuador Terminates Ambassador To United Kingdom

CNN reports: The Ecuadorian government has removed its ambassador to the UK, sparking speculation over Julian Assange’s future at the diplomatic mission there. The 47-year-old founder of WikiLeaks moved into the Ecuadorian Embassy in central London in 2012 while wanted for questioning over sexual assault allegations in Sweden. Assange maintained his innocence and claimed the charges were nothing more than …

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Spain Backs Brexit Deal After Agreement On Gibraltar

The Associated Press report: The European Union moved closer to sealing an agreement on Brexit after Spain said it had reached a deal with Britain over Gibraltar, a key obstacle on the eve of a European Union summit on Sunday. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced Saturday that Madrid would support the Brexit divorce deal after the U.K. and the …

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London Bans Junk Food Ads On All Public Transit

CNN reports: London Mayor Sadiq Khan said Friday that junk food advertising will be banned on the city’s entire public transportation network from February, as part of a plan to tackle childhood obesity. Restrictions will come into force February 25 and will cover all advertising for foods and non-alcoholic drinks high in fat, salt and sugar. This will include products …

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Elton John Stars In John Lewis Holiday Ad [VIDEO]

Yahoo News reports: It’s the most magical time of the year – or at least as far as television advertising goes – as the official John Lewis Christmas advert has been unveiled. And this year it’s gone in a completely new direction, by featuring a music icon. Elton John takes us on his musical career journey and reveals his most …

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TURMOIL: Ministers Quit Over PM May’s Brexit Draft

CBS News reports: The morning after the night before was a rough one for British Prime Minister Theresa May. On Wednesday night, she announced that she’d won her cabinet’s backing for her draft proposal on how the U.K. should pull out of the European Union. On Thursday morning, May’s Brexit secretary, the man who led her negotiating team in Brussels …

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Theresa May Issues Draft Brexit Agreement With EU

CBS News reports: Prime Minister Theresa May has managed to hash out a draft agreement with the European Union on the terms of Britain’s looming divorce from the EU, and to convince her own divided cabinet that the deal is a better than the default alternative — a “no-deal Brexit.” May emerged from her official residence at No. 10 Downing …

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REPORT: Trump “Berated” Theresa May In Phone Call

The Washington Post reports: As he jetted to Paris last Friday, President Trump received a congratulatory phone call aboard Air Force One. British Prime Minister Theresa May was calling to celebrate the Republican Party’s wins in the midterm elections — never mind that Democrats seized control of the House — but her appeal to the American president’s vanity was met …

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BRITAIN: Companies Plan To Microchip Employees

The Telegraph reports: British companies are planning to microchip some of their staff in order to boost security and stop them accessing sensitive areas. Biohax, a Swedish company that provides human chip implants, told the Telegraph it was in talks with a number of UK legal and financial firms to implant staff with the devices. One prospective client, which cannot …

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BRITAIN: 700K March For Second Brexit Vote [VIDEO]

The Guardian reports: The centre of London ground to a halt as an estimated 700,000 people from all over the UK marched peacefully on parliament to demand a second referendum on Brexit. It was the biggest outpouring of public opposition to government policy since the anti-Iraq war protest in 2003. The number who descended on the capital to call for …

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UK Condemns Trump’s Praise For Assault On Reporter

The Guardian reports: Downing Street has indirectly criticised Donald Trump after he praised a Republican congressman for attacking a Guardian reporter, saying any violence or intimidation against journalists was “completely unacceptable”. Asked about Trump’s comments, Theresa May’s spokeswoman said: “He obviously made comments at a political rally, and those are for him. But more generally we would always say that …

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BRITAIN: Anti-Gay Bakers Win Wedding Cake Case

The BBC reports: The Christian owners of a Northern Ireland bakery have won their appeal in the so-called “gay cake” discrimination case. The UK’s highest court ruled that Ashers bakery’s refusal to make a cake with a slogan supporting same-sex marriage was not discriminatory. The five justices on the Supreme Court were unanimous in their judgement. The high-profile dispute began …

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Banksy Piece Sells For $1.3M, Promptly Shreds Itself

The BBC reports: A stencil spray painting by elusive artist Banksy shredded itself after it was sold for more than £1m. The framed “Girl With Balloon”, one of the artist’s best known works, was auctioned by Sotheby’s in London. The piece which shows a girl reaching towards a heart-shaped balloon was the final work sold at the auction. However, moments …

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BRITAIN: High Court Overturns Patent On PrEP Drug

Gay Star News reports: Britain’s High Court today ruled to overturn pharmaceutical company Gilead Science’s patent extension on Truvada. The HIV medication is also used for PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). When taken as advised, this stops HIV negative people acquiring HIV. PrEP is not yet available on the NHS in England and Wales. The NHS is currently conducting a trial to …

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Putin Claims Poisoning Suspects Are Russian Civilians

The BBC reports: The two suspects in the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter are civilians, not criminals, Russian President Vladimir Putin says. The UK government named them as Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov, and said they were from Russia’s military intelligence service, the GRU. Mr Putin said his government had found the pair and he hoped …

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Britain Charges Russia Spies In Poisoning Case [VIDEO]

The Guardian reports: Two Russian nationals have been named and charged over the novichok poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury, Wiltshire. British police and prosecutors made the announcement on Wednesday. Police said the two men were traveling on authentic Russian passports under the names of Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov and arrived in the UK on an Aeroflot …

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BRITAIN: London Mayor Sadiq Khan Shrugs Off Mocking Bikini Balloon: I Don’t Think Yellow Is My Color [VIDEO]

The BBC reports: Protesters have been given permission to fly a bikini-clad blimp of London mayor Sadiq Khan over Westminster. Campaigners raised £58,182 for the 29ft-long ‘baby Khan’, which will fly over Parliament Square on 1 September. A crowdfunding anti-Khan campaign was launched following the giant Donald Trump baby balloon flown by protesters during the president’s visit in July. Mr …

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